This weekend was our group excursion to the Alsace Region of France. Our first stop was at the château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg in Orschwiller. The original construction on the site dates back to the 12th century, but the castle that stands there today is credited to the rule of German Emperor Wilhelm II. He was given the space by the city of Sélestat in 1899, as it had been previously abandoned during the Thirty Years' War. It is an impressive structure among the Vosges Mountains, with a broad view overlooking the Alsatian Plain.

After our tour of the castle we headed south to the city of Colmar. We first had a chance to explore the old town, which appeared very well preserved. Despite being a French city, Colmar and much of the surrounding region have a very German feel, which could be explained by the fact that the region has historically belonged to either France or Germany. I seemed to hear just as many people speaking German as I did French. We then toured the city's Unterlinden Museum, which hosts the famous Insenheim Altarpiece among other artworks spanning a very long period of time.